Tottenham Hotspur received a big boost on Thursday when Son Heung-min returned to training.
The 24-year-old was expected to be on the sidelines for three months after breaking his right arm.
The forward hurt himself when he landed awkwardly during an international match for South Korea.
Since undergoing an operation, Son has been in recovery, but it appears as though he is closing in on a return to action.
On Spurs’ Twitter page, the club posted pictures of the attacker taking part in a non-contact session.
It was the first time in over six weeks that Son was part of the first-team squad, and his return provides a big boost given that the Premier League season gets underway next weekend.
Some fans have been disappointed in the lack of transfer activity at the North London club, given that manager Mauricio Pochettino is yet to bring in a new signing, but the image of Son back on the training field has pleased many.
The club has broken their transfer record to bring in French striker Alexandre Lacazette and produced the typically shrewd yet effective free signing of left-back Sead Kolasinac from Schalke.
No key players have left the club despite the early rumours of Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez potentially departing the club. But while Özil has affirmed his commitment to Arsenal, the Chilean forward is yet to do so, and that is why Arsene Wenger and the Gunners board should be shopping Alexis rather than holding onto him.
The 28-year old Chile international is one of the world’s best and would slot into any starting XI; he has been the key man at the Emirates since his arrival in July 2014. He has been a dedicated soldier for Arsene Wenger and a joy for Gunners fans to watch over the past three seasons. But now he is seemingly holding the team hostage, and he needs to go.
Sanchez is currently valued at £55.25million by transfermarkt, and with the current market inflation his price would likely be a little higher. However, he is in the final season of his contract, and Arsenal holding onto him leaves wide open the possibility of him leaving for nothing next summer.
Now I’m not saying that Arsenal should be offering him to anyone who can pay for him. The club shouldn’t sell to Premier League rivals such as Manchester City or Chelsea but clubs such as Juventus, Bayern Munich, PSG or Barcelona, should Neymar leave, would all be interested in the forward and not hinder the Gunners’ chances of winning Premier League title.
If Arsenal sell Sanchez to a foreign club this summer, they prevent him from potentially joining City or Chelsea next season for absolutely nothing.
Selling him now also gives Arsene Wenger time to find a suitable replacement and a large chunk of money to throw around. Selling the club’s best player isn’t an ideal scenario whatsoever, but it is certainly better than the alternative. If Sanchez isn’t willing to commit his future to Arsenal, the club shouldn’t be fighting tooth and nail to keep him.
At 28-years old, Sanchez’ market value is probably the highest it will ever be. It is incredibly respectable that Arsene Wenger is determined to keep his star player and that is what every fan and manager should want but, if he is unwilling to sign a contract extension, it is best to sell him now than potentially lose him to a direct rival for nothing.
According to reports in The Times, Everton midfielder Ross Barkley turned down a new contract offer to stay with the club because of his strained relationship with manager Ronald Koeman, although his latest injury setback could prevent him from leaving this month.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Times says that the 23-year-old has rejected a new deal with the Merseyside outfit because of his poor relationship with Koeman, which came to a head last season when the England international confronted the Dutchman over his repeated public criticism of his performances.
The midfielder had been expected to leave Goodison Park before the transfer window slams shut at the end of this month with Everton wanting to cash in on him now rather than lose him for nothing in 2018, but The Times says that the Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea target may be forced to have surgery on a serious hamstring injury he suffered in training earlier this week and could be out of action for up to three months.
Will it stop him moving?
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Potentially, yes.
The Times says the recovery period following a hamstring injury is three months but having already had his pre-season disrupted with speculation over his future and surgery on a doubler hernia, he may not be back in action until November.
That is likely to put off the likes of Tottenham and Chelsea as they look to strengthen their squads with players that can make an impact now, while there are also obvious doubts as to whether he would pass a medical and whether they would be willing to take a risk on an injured player that they could get for free in January or next summer.
What happens next?
Well, both Everton and the player will be disappointed with how things have turned out considering the Toffees could miss out on a transfer fee for the England international, while the player hasn’t got the move he seems to be craving.
Whether he is welcomed back into the first-team squad should he stay at Goodison Park remains to be seen, especially with Koeman already bringing in the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Davy Klaassen and Wayne Rooney this summer.
Safe to say, Arsenal fans aren’t feeling too great about how the summer transfer window ended for the north London club in one of the most chaotic Deadline Days in recent memory.
While Arsenal elected not to cash-in on contract rebels Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was allowed to leave for Liverpool and the Gunners were left somewhat embarrassed by a failed last-minute £92million swoop for Monaco ace Thomas Lemar.
Perhaps that could be forgiven if Arsenal hadn’t been inactive for much of the summer; Arsene Wenger uncharacteristically sealed two early deals for Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac but didn’t follow them up, making the duo Arsenal’s only signings of the transfer window.
Accordingly, when we asked Arsenal fans last week whether they’re happy with their club’s dealings during the summer, the answer was an unsurprising no – as voted for by a staggering 91% of Arsenal fans who took part in our poll.
But who’s to blame for the disappointing transfer window, Gunners faithful? The board, Arsene Wenger, Ivan Gazidis or someone else? Let us know by commenting below…
Last week, the Premier League voted to close the summer transfer window before the first game of the 2018/19 season. The decision comes following a summer in which several high-profile players cemented themselves to the sidelines in hope of securing moves away, something that inevitably affected managerial plans, team selections and results during the first three weeks of the new season.
Closing the transfer window early does create a leveller playing field and reduce the confusion during the opening weeks of the campaign. But there are positives and negatives to everything in the world of football. Football FanCast discuss the pros and cons of the latest Premier League rule change…
Christy Malyan – Why it should close at the end of August
There is a reason the two richest clubs in the Premier League, Manchester City and Manchester United, voted against shortening the transfer window despite not making any signings later than the end of July this summer – in the grand scheme of European football, it leaves the English top flight at a significant disadvantage until the rest of the continent ratify the change as well.
First and foremost, ending the transfer window before the first game doesn’t actually solve the problem it’s designed to, because foreign clubs will still have another three weeks of potentially whisking away players – it wouldn’t, for example, have had any bearing on Philippe Coutinho’s arduous transfer saga during the summer. Of course, the safeguard is that Premier League clubs won’t want to sell knowing they can’t replace, but we’ve seen this summer how frankly outrageous the money can get and some chairmen will surely take the risk should a ridiculous offer come along.
But there’s also a major disadvantage on the recruitment front, and especially in a World Cup year. Foreign clubs are now in a situation where they can demand much greater money from Premier League clubs much earlier in the summer; the threat being that if an English team don’t agree a deal, they still have three weeks to float players to potential suitors elsewhere. That puts incredible pressure on Premier League teams and leverages heavily towards the sellers which might, if possible, remove transfer fees even further from reality than they are currently. It will also make the Premier League the best place to drum up interest; if you agree a £50million deal but let the deadline pass, you’ve the set the price-tag for the rest of Europe for the next three weeks. That doesn’t put English football in a particularly esteemed light.
Likewise, Premier League sides will have far less time to sign players also desired by clubs across Europe. There will be just 25 days between the World Cup final next summer and the close of the transfer window in the English top flight; some of the stellar talents to emerge from international football’s top competition will inevitably pass the Premier League by. And for all the concern over how the current situation affects managers preparing for the new season, I’m sure most would like the option of revising their squad after three games of evidence to go on rather than having no choice at all.
Soccer Football – Tottenham Hotspur Training – London, Britain – September 12, 2017 Tottenham Hotspur’s Fernando Llorente during training Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
Chris McMullan – Why it should close before the first game
There was a brief lull, but it turned out we were in the eye of a passing storm.
For years, transfer deadline day was the most hyped day of the footballing calendar. It got silly, but it was also thoroughly entertaining. When Robinho joined Manchester City, or when Alex Ferguson smuggled Dimitar Berbatov out of north London in the back of an inconspicuous car, deadline day was at its harmless peak. Just a soap opera condensed into a day and providing some titillating fun.
But then it got boring. Deadline days came and went with only the tamest of sagas and midtable moves. Blockbusters were impossible as the biggest clubs had their houses in order, business was done early.
This year, with the market inflated and panic in the air, it became ludicrous again. Not just because silly money was being thrown about for middling players or because clubs were frantically attempting to replace departing stars, but also because of the fact that three games had already been played. Three games, that is, when some of the biggest clubs in the country were deprived of some of their best players – multi-million pound assets – all because another team somewhere in the world had whispered sweet nothings into their ears.
It seems so right that the transfer window should end before the season starts. It won’t get rid of the sense of panic, drama or even entertainment that deadline day can often bring, nor will it stop wantaway players from attempting their escapes. But it will stop the frankly ridiculous situation where clubs, the league and its worldwide fan base are prevented from seeing some of the best players until well into the season. And if three games doesn’t sound like a long time, remember that Chelsea won the league by seven points last season.
Of course, this is only a beneficial gesture if other European leagues decide to play along. If they follow suit and we have a Europe-wide deadline, this will sort all of the problems. If not, then English clubs will still have to endure bids for their best players for even longer, with no chance of replacing them if they leave.
Still, if you want change to any system, you have to take action. And the Premier League really should be applauded for taking that step, not constantly reminded of the very obvious downside to it.
Let us know when you think the transfer window should close by voting below…
Everton will be without Michael Keane and Phil Jagielka for this evening’s Europa League match against Apollon Limassol at Goodison Park.
What’s wrong?
Manager Ronald Koeman confirmed to the media in a press conference on Wednesday that Keane is sidelined with an ankle injury, while Jagielka is yet to overcome a thigh problem.
The pressure is on the Merseyside outfit to get a result following their opening match, which ended in a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta.
Overall, it has not been an ideal start to the season for the Toffees, who have claimed six wins in 12 games in all competitions.
The team have struggled for firepower up front, which led to forgotten man Oumar Niasse being given a chance, and he certainly took it by scoring three goals in his last two performances.
The striker is ineligible to play this evening as he was not included in Koeman’s initial Europa squad.
It seems that problems have now stretched to the back of the pitch due to the fact that two key defenders are missing.
Who can fill in?
In terms of experienced options, other than Ashley Williams, Everton do not have many available.
Ramiro Funes Mori remains on the treatment table, which likely means that Koeman will have to call on his younger defenders.
Mason Holgate is likely to partner Williams at the back given that he has already played 90 minutes in the Europa League this season.
England Under-21 international Jonjoe Kenny is also an option, but he is likely to be lower down in the pecking order.
As reported by The Express, Chelsea are set to complete a major deal with star Eden Hazard that will see him become the highest paid player in the English Premier League.
What’s the story?
While Chelsea have put a significant focus on player recruitment over the last two summer transfer windows, just as important is retaining the talent they already have available and they don’t come much better than Eden Hazard.
The Express reckon that the Blues are ready to offer him an eye-watering £300k-a-week to stay at Stamford Bridge on a new contract, a significant upgrade on his current wage of £220k-a-week.
The report reckons that would make him the highest earning player in the entire division, more than even Paul Pogba earns at Old Trafford.
The paper say just a few minor details are set to be ironed out after the international break, quashing any speculation that he may be on to move the Real Madrid.
Is he worth that kind of cash?
There’s no doubting Eden Hazard has been one of the biggest talents in the English Premier League over the past few seasons and in today’s market, if you want to retain that kind of talent then you need to cough up the money.
With 72 goals and 65 assists during his five year spell at the club, he has a direct goal contribution to rival the best around in England and coming into his prime at 26 years of age, that kind of firepower could be the basis on which success is achieved at Stamford Bridge in the seasons to come.
So yes, he is worth the money and Chelsea are doing well protecting their position with one of their most influential assets.
Just like Aston Villa fans, former defender Paul McGrath was disappointed with what he saw when the team took on Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend.Steve Bruce’s side have been in positive form in the early stages of this season, putting themselves in a good position for a promotion challenge.However, their unbeaten run of eight Championship games came to an end on Saturday when Wolves secured a 2-0 win at Molineux.Bruce’s side conceded their first goal in the 55th minute when Diogo Jota struck, and the Villans were unable to bounce back as Leo Bonatini hammered the final nail in the coffin with 18 minutes left on the clock.The result has not affected the club’s standing in the table too badly as they reside seventh and just one point outside the playoff places, and are seven adrift of top spot, which is currently occupied by Wolves.McGrath, who played for Villa between 1989 and 1996, took to Twitter to air his reaction to the game, and he had some pointers for the team’s strategy when off the ball.
To be brutally honest, the EFL Cup is not a competition that will mean too much to Chelsea boss Antonio Conte this season.
The League Cup is fourth in line when it comes to the trophies that Chelsea will pursue during the 2017-18 campaign, but the Blues have a good chance of making the quarter-finals as they prepare to welcome struggling Everton in the fourth round on Wednesday night.
Everton will visit Stamford Bridge having sacked Ronald Koeman, and that might make it a difficult assignment for Chelsea.
Conte will surely rest a number of his first-team players, however, ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth.
On Wednesday morning, Chelsea’s official Twitter account looked ahead to the clash with Everton, and the club’s supporters were on hand to offer their views on team selection.
Indeed, the supporters want Conte to ring the changes, with Charly Musonda and Kenedy among those that the fanbase want to see.
A selection of the best Twitter reaction can be found below:
David Moyes has not had the easiest time in management since leaving his long-term role at Everton in 2013.
The Scotsman was in charge of the Toffees for 11 years, but he has failed to last longer than 12 months in various jobs since then.
Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland all took Moyes, but none of those clubs stuck with him for the long haul.
The 54-year-old now finds himself at West Ham United, where he was appointed as Slaven Bilic’s successor last week.
Moyes has been given time to find his feet at the club due to the international break and he has been getting to know the players at his disposal.
A number of academy players have been welcomed to training, and judging by the manager’s latest quotes, some of the youngsters could be given a chance to shine.
Some fans did not buy into Moyes’s comments, while others singled out one young player – Toni Martinez.